Prime Minister's Office
English rendering of PM's Media Statement at the Start of the 17th Lok Sabha
Friends,
This is the first session after the elections and the formation of new Lok Sabha. This is an opportunity to introduce new colleagues and when new colleagues join, then new aspirations, new zeal and new dreams too are associated with them. What makes Indian democracy so special? We realize the special features and strength of the Indian democracy during every election. This time in Parliamentary election we have seen the maximum percentage of voting and the maximum number of women representatives since independence. More number of women had voted this time as compared to earlier occasions. This election had been full of several unique features. After several decades, a government has been given the opportunity to serve the public with absolute majority for the second consecutive time and with more number of seats than before. During the last five years we have seen that, whenever the House was in session and had run in a healthy environment, the decisions for the welfare of the nation had also been very good. On the basis of those experiences I hope and I believe that all the parties will hold discussions, debates and take decisions in public interest and take steps for fulfilling the aspirations of the people in the best possible way. We had started our journey of 'Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas'; but the people of the country have added an amazing ‘faith’ or ‘Viswas’ to that ‘Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas'. And with that faith we will definitely put our best efforts to fulfil the hopes and aspirations of the common man.
The presence of a proactive opposition is a mandatory pre-condition of democracy. I hope that the opposition should now stop worrying about numbers. The public has given certain numbers to them; but for us their every word and feeling is precious. And when we are inside the House, occupying the chair as MPs, the spirit of neutrality becomes all the more important than who is in power and who is in the opposition. And I believe that keeping animosity at bay, we will try to uphold the dignity of the House by working for the public welfare in an unbiased way in the next five years. I am confident that our Houses will be more productive than before, and we will get the opportunity to work with more zeal, speed and better collective thinking for public interest.
There are several members in the House who make debates lively and place some wonderful thoughts and ideas; but as most of it is constructive, it doesn't match with the TRPs. But sometimes the members will get the opportunity even beyond the TRPs. If the government is criticized in a constructive way, followed by reasons and arguments by a Parliamentarian in the House, it boosts the democracy. I have a lot of expectations from all of you in strengthening the democracy. We will certainly fulfil those expectations but you all can play a positive role in strengthening this spirit over the next five years. If you play a positive role and spread positive thoughts then everyone would be inclined towards positivity. Therefore, I invite you all to move together towards new zeal, new faith, new resolution and new dreams during the 17th Lok Sabha. Let us leave no stone unturned in fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the common man. With this belief, thank you all!